Rachel Corsie targetting ‘extraordinary’ treble feat

Glasgow City midfielder Rachel Corsie believes her team have the upper hand in Sunday’s Scottish Cup final but must keep an eye on Hibernian’s young stars if they want to win.

The Scotland international has returned to Glasgow City on loan from Seattle Reign and is determined to help the club - who she played with from 2008 to 2013 - seal a fourth consecutive domestic treble.

With one win and two draws against Hibernian in the league and a 2-1 extra-time win over them in the 2015 League Cup final, Corsie is confident her side have the edge. But she has urged caution against Hibernian’s crop of young stars – including Lizzie Arnot and Kirsty Smith – who have forced their way into the Scotland squad with their performances this season.

Speaking to the Scottish FA, Rachel said: “This is a cup you want to be involved in right to the end. It’s the showpiece trophy and it’s irrelevant to how well you've done in the league. We’ve had success in it before and it’s something we want to have again this year.

“Hibs have some great youthful players who have shown that they can compete at the highest level. Some of them have had a taste of the national set-up and they’ve done well there. It’s great to have them in the squad.

“We’ve done well against them this year, I think it’s one win and two draws, so we remain unbeaten. It’s a cup final and anyone can win but I still say we can be confident that we have the upper hand.”

Women's Scottish Cup winners

2014 | Glasgow City (bt Spartans)

2013 | Glasgow City (bt Hibernian)

2012 | Glasgow City (bt Forfar Farmington)

2011 | Glasgow City (bt Hibernian)

2010 | Hibernian (bt Rangers)

After leaving Glasgow City originally in 2013, Corsie has enjoyed a successful spell at Seattle Reign where she has teamed up with fellow Scotland star Kim Little to fantastic effect. In that time City have continued to build and Corsie has been impressed with the standards demanded by the club and its players:

“I think there are only four or five players left from when I last left the club two years ago so there’s been significant transition. I think that’s a credit to the people behind the scenes who ensure that the high standards remain.

“To be going for another treble is quite extraordinary to be honest. We have some good players in the squad and they all deserve to be here. It’s been good to be involved.

“I did feel a bit of a cheat picking up a league medal! When you come in at this stage of the season it’s when the big games happen. I’m fortunate that I have had this opportunity and that Laura (Montgomery, City’s Club Manager) wanted me to come back and I hope I’ve made a positive impact.”

Sunday’s final represents the final domestic game in the women’s football calendar but Corsie and co will return to action in just a few weeks with Scotland. They play FYR Macedonia in a UEFA Women’s EURO Qualifying game at St Mirren Park on Sunday 29 November.

Rachel has been a consistent feature in Anna’s team throughout the qualifying campaign so far, netting three goals in the last two games against Belarus and FYR Macedonia. She says fans can expect even more from Scotland over the next few years as they attempt to build on expectations.

Corsie continued: “We’ve been good. It’s a bit different now with our ambitions. We understand the expectations on us to get to the Euros and we just have to do that now.

“We’ve not played as well as we can but it’s going to be a process. Ultimately we want to be peaking next year when we play Iceland. We’ve got maximum points so far and to get a win in the next home game will be crucial. It will end the year on a high and hopefully we can go into 2016 with confidence to keep that going.”